CLASSIC cuisine in elegant surroundings, Popjoys in Bath offers an experience in refined dining.

Housed in a Grade I listed Georgian building, the restaurant is named after the mistress of Beau Nash, the 18th century gambler and socialite who was responsible for transforming Bath into a rival to London as the place to be seen.

Situated next to the Theatre Royal, it is also an obvious place to titillate the taste buds before enjoying an evening of dramatic entertainment.

With this idea mind, we decided to treat ourselves to the pre-theatre set menu which at £15.50 for three courses and £12.50 for two was an absolute bargain.

The menu is modern British with European influences and although the set menu dishes weren't highly innovative, the a la carte does offer more exciting options such as guinea fowl and wood pigeon terrine with a jam of cranberries and brandy soaked prunes at £8 and oven roast barbary duck breast with a wild bramble and cherry marmalade at £18.50.

To start, I had had curry flavoured noodles with prawns, peppers and spring onions. The prawns were luscious, obviously very fresh and full of flavour although there could have been more of them.

The noodles were a little spicier than I would have expected from a European restaurant but they complemented the undressed prawns.

My friend had the gravadlax with a wild honey and dill dressing which she said was more delicate than smoked salmon with the sweetness of the honey providing a perfect contrast.

Keeping to the seafood theme, I had grilled trout fillet with tartare sauce and new potatoes for my main course.

The fish again was cooked very simply, which was ideal because the sauce had a strong tangy flavour with lovely bits of crunchy capers giving the dish a bit of bite.

My companion had the chicken cordon bleu with redcurrant sauce and sauted rosemary potatoes.

The chicken had been reared in the back garden of the restaurant owner Tomi Gretener and it showed because it was succulent and actually had some taste.

We managed to fit in a dessert before the start of the show, which is testimony to the speedy and efficient service we received.

My friend opted for the homemade blueberry ice-cream which she said was exceptional and very light.

I was a bit more indulgent and had Grand Marnier parfait with iced chocolate a lovely way to end an enjoyable meal.

Popjoys also boasts an extensive wine list starting from house wines costing £12 to a bottle of Chateau les Ormes de Pez setting you back £120.

For more information and reservations call 01225 460 494 or take a look at website www.popjoys.co.uk